Onew

     It wasn’t that Onew didn’t appreciate Minho’s help. Really, he was thankful. However, as a result of Minho’s height, Onew’s homemade “GO LUNA AND JONGHYUN (AND THE REST OF HUFFLEPUFF!)” sign was distinctly lopsided as Onew has grown weary of standing on his tip-toes to make the long banner level.

     “Are you sure you don’t want me to hold the other end?” Taemin asked for the third time, staring up at Minho with an almost pleading look.

     “It’s fine,” Minho stared absently, eyes focused intently on the match in front of him.

     “Okay,” Taemin said quietly, catching Onew’s eye before shrugging apologetically.

     That was nice of him, Onew thought, smiling a little at Taemin before following Minho’s lead and focusing on the game…

     …until someone passing behind him elbowed him in the back of the head.

     “OW!” Onew yelped, wincing in pain and turning to scold whoever it was, only to find that it was Goyle, with Sulli in tow.

     “Hi guys,” Sulli called cheerfully, waving with the arm that wasn’t threaded through Goyle’s arm. “Have you met my boyfriend Goyle?”

     “We all know Goyle,” Taemin remarked blandly.

     “I’m Goyle,” Goyle supplied helpfully.

     “Goddamn it,” muttered Key darkly from next to Taemin. “In my own ing house…unbelievable…”

     “What was that Key? Isn’t Goyle so lovely? That’s what I thought,” Sulli replied, a look of crazed cheeriness plastered across her face. She shoved into the back of Key’s shoulder, and Onew quickly realized who’d hit him before.

     “Right,” Key said, wincing and glaring at Sulli (who looked suddenly unphased.)

     “Anyway, off to go cheer for the boyfriend’s team! Later guys!”

     “You’re disgusting!” Taemin replied cheerfully, waving as Sulli showed him a single- salute.

     “Charming, both of you,” Minho said. “Now be quiet so I can hear the commentary.”

     “Do you know who’s doing the commentary these days?” Onew asked, casting a quick glance to the announcer’s booth where Victoria sat, looking despondent and bored.

     “Aaaaand there’s a ball. Oh look, there’s another ball. So many balls. Reminds me of college, am I right? Oh, nope, from the way Professor McGonagall is looking at me, it appears I am not right. Anyway. Quidditch This is fun. We are having fun? Yes?”

     “Who gave her a job?” Onew asked.

     “’Gave’ is such a kind word. More like ‘forced,’” Key remarked helpfully as Taemin nodded solemnly.

     “Doing that to McGonagall’s dogs was always going to come back to haunt her someday….” Taemin replied, as Onew’s eyebrows leapt in alarm.

     “Doing what to McGonagall’s dogs?” he hissed.

     “Oh look, there’s the snitch!” Minho shouted. The four of them looked upwards to see the Slytherin seeker hurtling overhead towards a small golden orb sailing further into the distance, the Hufflepuff seeker in hot pursuit.

     “No no no no,” Onew muttered as the Slytherin approached, moments away from reaching the snitch.

     “Come on,” Minho said, staring at the Seekers as they dived towards the winged ball and towards –

     “JONGHYUN!” Onew yelled, though there was nothing he could do: the Slytherin seeker had set them on a trajectory for the Hufflepuff goalposts and it was mere moments before he collided with Jonghyun.

     “Hooooly , is anyone watching this!?” cried Victoria from the announcer’s booth as the boys fell from their brooms, slowing only slightly before hitting the ground.

     Minho wasted no time before leaping from his seat, pushing aside Taemin and Key and running towards the pitch. Onew’s eyes welled up as he stared at Jonghyun lying motionless on the grass, legs askew in a truly unnatural way.

     “He’ll be okay,” Taemin said, placing a comforting arm on Onew’s shoulder though his expression betrayed real concern. “They put spells on the field so no one can get seriously injured. He slowed down before he landed, he’ll be fine.”

     “Right,” Onew said, completely unconvinced.

     “Guys,” Sulli said, dropping into Minho’s now vacant seat, “I just broke up with Goyle.”

     “Honestly for the best seeing as he’s a wart on the toe of life, but do you seriously not see what’s going on right now?” Key asked, pointing at the field where Jonghyun and the Slytherin seeker were swarmed by professors and students, a tall streak of red and gold standing over where Jonghyun had fallen.

     “Holy ,” Sulli said, face going blank. “When did this happen?”

     “About three minutes ago, while you were breaking up with the troglodyte known as your ex-boyfriend,” Key retorted.

     “It took longer than I expected. Concepts do not sink in quickly with him…” Sulli continued by way of explanation, though quickly lapsed into silence. In unison, the four of them stood to join Minho in the field, where Jonghyun was lifted away from the chaos and (hopefully) to the hospital bay.

     They would be there when he woke up.

Victoria

     “When I asked you to show your school spirit and participate in something extra-curricular, this is not what I had in mind!” McGonagall roared, and Victoria winced from her seat in one of the impossibly squishy chairs in the headmaster’s office. Snape’s portrait looked on with pure distain, while Dumbledore’s picture stared with a smirk betraying mild amusement.

     “It wasn’t my intention to be totally inappropriate,” Victoria said, expression pleading, “it just came out!”

     “Like Seamus Finnigan,” Dumbledore’s painting added.

     “Right! Like Seamus Finnigan. See, the painting gets it!” Victoria said, saluting Dumbledore’s portrait.

     The portrait shot her a thumbs up.

     “Why Professor Dumbledore is aware of our students and their various…proclivities is a question for another day! Our present concern is as to why, with so much God-given intelligence, you are continuously choosing to waste it on such frivolous living!”

     “I’m assuming you’re looking for something more insightful than, ‘Because it’s fun’?” Victoria asked.

     “Might I offer a suggestion?” drawled Snape’s portrait from the corner of the room.

     “I am afraid I couldn’t stop you if I tried,” Professor McGonagall replied, pinching the bridge of her nose.

     “Duuunnngeonnnssss,” Snape continued, voice slowing for emphasis as he stared Victoria down.

     Victoria stuck out her tongue in response.

     “Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans!” Dumbledore added. “They’re not all pleasant, I assure you.”

     “I always knew I liked you,” Victoria said.

     “It’s like working in circus some days,” McGonagall muttered to herself, walking behind her desk and sitting down with her head in her hands. “I suppose, as punishment must be leveled, we shall have you….supervise detention for the remainder of the year.”

     “That doesn’t sound so awful,” Victoria said thoughtfully. “I can live with that.”

     “You should know, Professor Song,” Snape continued in his low baritone, “that Goyle has been given detention for the next two months following a rather unpleasant….slug incident in the Herbology room.”

     “WHY DO THE PORTRAITS IN THIS ROOM KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT OUR STUDENTS?” roared McGonagall, sitting bolt upright.

     “The Fat Lady is a bit of a gossip, it must be said,” Dumbledore said wisely. Snape nodded solemnly in response.

     “And who, exactly, is her informant?” hissed McGonagall.

     “Peeves,” Dumbledore quipped.

     “I see what you mean about the circus thing,” Victoria said quietly. McGonagall simply nodded.

     “Professor! Professor!” called a voice from the stairwell. McGonagall rose in response as the door opened and Taemin and Sulli stumbled in.

     “Yes, what is it?” McGonagall asked.

     “No, not you! I mean….um…sorry, Professor McGonagall,” Sulli mumbled sheepishly. “We were actually here looking for Vic-“

     “Professor Song! You’re here! Wonderful!” Taemin said loudly over the end of Sulli’s sentence.

     “What’s the word, hummingbird?” Victoria asked. Snape exhaled loudly through his nose.

     “Jonghyun’s awake,” Taemin said, smiling slightly.

     Without saying a word, Victoria leapt from her seat and dashed out of the classroom, Taemin and Sulli muttering hasty goodbyes to Professor McGonagall before following behind her.

     “She has dedication,” Dumbledore remarked sagely.

     “Indeed,” Snape said, echoing his sentiment disdainfully.

     “The day that I ask for either of your advice will be the day that hell has frozen over,” McGonagall said, before following Victoria, Taemin and Sulli to the hospital wing (and shutting the door so forcefully that it rattled the paintings on the wall.

     Serves them right.)